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Dec. 14, 2009 -- Nearly one-third of pediatricians are unaware of a choking
game trend among adolescents, according to a new study.

Researchers say doctors who care for young people should learn to recognize
warning signs and do more to educate patients about the potentially deadly
game.

In the choking game, participants attempt to gain a “high” or euphoric
feeling by depriving the brain of oxygen by applying pressure with another
person’s hands or with belts, neckties, or other devices. Another variation
involves one person taking a deep breath and holding it while a second person
hugs them from behind until the first person feels dizzy and passes out.

A recent CDC report estimated that about 85 deaths from 1995 to 2007 were
likely caused by participation in choking games, and several incidences of
brain injuries have been reported.

Researchers say the choking game is also known by many other names,
including the pass-out game, fainting game, black out, five minutes of heaven,
rush, knock-out game, natural high, and suffocation roulette. It is not,
however, the same as autoerotic asphyxia, the practice of using strangulation
to enhance the pleasure of sexual stimulation, which is primarily practiced by
adults.

In the study, published in Pediatrics, researchers look at survey
results of 163 pediatricians and family practitioners about their knowledge of
the choking game.

Sixty-eight percent had heard of the choking game, mostly through media
reports.

Among those who were aware of the choking game, 76% could identify at least
one warning sign such as:

Curiosity about asphyxiation (asking questions like “how does it feel?” or
“what happens if...”)

Disorientation and/or grogginess after being alone

Locked or blocked bedroom or bathroom doors

Frequent, often severe headaches

Changes in attitude; becoming more aggressive

Wear marks on furniture (bunk beds or closet rods)

The results showed that about 8% of those doctors who were aware of the
choking game reported that they cared for a patient who they suspected was
participating in the game.

About two-thirds of the doctors surveyed agreed that doctors should discuss
the dangers of the choking game with adolescents, but only 2% reported doing
so.

“To provide better care for their adolescent patients, pediatricians and
family practitioners should be knowledgeable about risky behaviors encountered
by their patients, including the choking game, and provide timely guidance
about its dangers,” write researcher Julie L. McClave, MD, of Rainbow Babies
and Children’s Hospital Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.